Health Management and Policy Alert

31/10/05 - Bereavement services in the NHS

The Department of Health (DH) has published, When a patient dies: advice on developing bereavement services in the NHS. Its aim is to provide advice on the basic principles and elements considered necessary in developing bereavement services locally. The advice also describes experiences and practical solutions already in place in some trusts. (DH - publications)

31/10/05 - Increase in independently reviewed NHS complaints

The Healthcare Commission (HC) has published figures that show the number of people asking for their NHS complaint to be independently reviewed because it was not resolved by local health services has more than doubled in the past year. The HC received over 8,000 requests from people wanting their complaint independently reviewed in the 12 months to August. This compares with 3,700 (reported by the DH) requests for independent review in 2003/04, when the NHS dealt with second stage complaints. The HC says that over one in three complaints are sent back to the NHS to put it right. (HC - press release) Guardian news item BBC news item

31/10/05 - Public views on patient choice

The King's Fund has published, Public views on choices in health and health care: a qualitative study. It presents the key findings from ten focus groups held in June and July 2005 to explore public views about choice in health and health care, and aims particularly to describe attitudes to choice among people living with a long-term condition. The findings show that people are supportive of government moves to increase patient choice but insist it can only be made a reality if they can call on advice from their family doctor, if they have more information and if there is more capacity in the system. It concludes with a discussion about the implications of findings for emerging policy. The findings will inform the design of a larger quantitative survey about choice, to be conducted towards the end of 2005. (King's Fund - press release)

29/10/05 - The future of PFI

The Future Healthcare Network (FHN), which is part of the NHS Confederation, surveyed its members in summer 2005 on their experiences of the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) in the NHS. FHN members taking part in the survey represented NHS trusts involved in PFI schemes. A total of 15 respondents from 13 NHS trusts involved in PFI schemes gave a view of their experience in confidential interviews conducted by FHN. Overall the 13 NHS trusts supported the principle of using private sector investment to finance major NHS building schemes but they said that the PFI process needs to be made more effective so that new hospitals will be more flexible for future healthcare needs. Those surveyed also felt that it took too long for a PFI scheme to get off the ground and consequently it was felt that private sector companies were losing interest.

(NHS Confederation - press release)

28/10/05 - Prison healthcare education and training framework

This document provides a detailed description of the professional and vocational qualifications that are a pre-requisite for all people who work in or interact with health care services in prisons. It also indicates additional education and/or training which is available to, or recommended for staff who may be working in prisons for the first time. It places particular emphasis on the ‘mainstreaming’ of healthcare staff working in prisons and indicates where there is a direct interface between prison healthcare staff and NHS initiatives such as the Knowledge and Skills Framework. (DH - publications)

28/10/05 - Surveillance of surgical site infection following orthopaedic surgery

Surveillance of surgical site infection following orthopaedic surgery has been included in the mandatory healthcare-associated infection surveillance system in England since April 2004. The surveillance is managed by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) on behalf of the Department of Health. Data is collected as part of the Surgical Site Infection Surveillance Service (SSISS), which has supported voluntary surveillance in several categories of surgical procedure since 1997. Data on 41,242 procedures has been collected by 146 Trusts in the first year of mandatory surveillance of surgical site infection (SSI) between 1st April 2004 and 31st March 2005. Only NHS Trusts that undertake relevant orthopaedic procedures and who are registered with SSISS appear in the results. The rates of SSI in orthopaedics were generally low and three-quarters of infections affected the superficial layers of the wound only.
(DH - publications)
A separate report has been published by the Centre of Infections at the Health Protection Agency

27/10/05 - 18 week patient pathway

Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt today set out further details of how the NHS will deliver a maximum wait for patients of 18 weeks, from GP referral to the start of treatment, by the end of 2008.
(DH press release)
(See also 18 weeks delivery programme website)

27/10/05 - NHS Audit Committee Handbook

The NHS Audit Committee Handbook - 2005 is a joint publication between the Department of Health and the Healthcare Financial Management Association and is a complete rewrite of the 2001 edition. The model Terms of Reference in this Handbook guide NHS Boards and Audit Committees to reconsider their approach to the scrutiny of the establishment and maintenance of an effective system of governance, risk management and internal control.
(DH publications)

27/10/05 - Health Bill

The Health Bill covers a diverse range of topics, under the banner of improving the health of the public and patients, inside and outside hospital, and improving the way the NHS is run. The Bill provides for a ban on smoking in enclosed public spaces and workplaces, with certain exemptions. It also contains measures to sharpen the focus on healthcare associated infections. Other areas covered include controlled drugs, modernisation of community pharmacy and ophthalmic services, NHS counter-fraud and security management, and changes in response to the review of our Arm's Length Bodies.
(DH Acts & Bills)
DH - press release
(BBC news)

27/10/05 - Commissioning a patient-led NHS: update 6

This is the sixth in a regular series of updates on Commissioning a patient-led NHS (CPLNHS). The updates provide information, refer to relevant publications elsewhere and address current issues of concern. This update contains the statement made by the Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt which explains the aims and process for implementing the proposals in CPLNHS, both on PCT reconfiguration and changes to PCT provider functions. (DH - publications)